[The feed opens up on Ann, as red as ever]

So, I've been here a few days and I'm afraid I've a small problem.

[She holds up her letter]

I was told I have telepathy, yet I've experienced no signs of it. I'd be quite grateful if someone could assist me.

O-oi! Whose idea was it to use my desk for their filing cabinet? I have to work here you know -- what do you mean, they're all mine ... ?

[That sure is a big stack of files on that desk. Almost bigger than the person to whom that desk belongs -- but since that person is Conan, this is not such a big deal! A view shared by the woman who Conan is talking to, who seems to laugh as she leans back against her noticeably emptier desk.

Conan grumbles, evidently not seeing the humour in the situation.]

So what are these ... the reports for Detective Beckett -- ah, I didn't expect them to be done this soon. Guess that means the lecture was a success! And this -- the analysis of the plants. No changes? Then Henrik can take this ... Oh, the domestic in Freya? Not looking for a third party, no ... but I'll have to talk to Yuri-sensei and Edgeworth-sensei about the situation.

[Conan goes tip-toe to starts sorting through the files as he talks.] Ha ... looks like I'm not going to get to work on the newcomer guide today either. Or the supply kits ... Speaking of -- I had a meeting with the Director about staffing. He agrees that we should be looking to recruit travellers with more knowledge in the field of--

[Field of what? Sadly, it will have to remain a mystery for now -- because rearranging the files on his desk, Conan has unwittingly triggered an avalanche of paperwork. That huge pile on his desk has given way, sweeping the tiny detective with it -- and the feed ends abruptly obscured by a sea of folders.]

((ooc: if your character might be interested in joining the forensics department, take a look at this! Thank you!))

[its been sometime since he talked on the network.  To be frank, Kyo's mostly keeping to himself and trying to get how everything goes on.  And what he's got is this place is pretty messed up, and he's seen a lot of messed up things]

So I dunno if anyone can answer me this, but since they gave use the okay, was anybody successful in going home?

Not that I care I'm not in any rush to get home.  I just wanna know if its possible.

[a pause, its like he's about to end the feed, but he changes his mind.  He clears his throat]

Oh and is there anything to do around here other than explore?  There's not a dojo here or anything.  I really need some practice and fighting out in the woods is getting kind of old.

[ At first, the only noticeable thing about the feed is the fact it's focused on the collar of a shirt. Normal, yes. Except for the bright stain of blood soaking it a rather sharp red. The view widens just a bit, most of Charley's face and upper body now visible. He's rubbing at his mouth with the back of his hand, trying to make himself look presentable. ]

Hello, er— [ He looks around, hesitating before looking at something in his other hand. The letter and everything else he was handed sans the bracelet. ] I've been told I'll be staying in some house named Sigyn. I suppose I could find my own way around, but it would be easier if I had a guide...

This entire situation seems rather, um, tedious anyhow. Despite what this paper says- [ And he reads part of it aloud, "chosen by the gods?" ] -I find it difficult to believe much of it. I thought there was only one. Even if some sort of magic is involved, the rest of it doesn't make sense.

[ A pause. ]

But I'm sure anyone who is watching this has heard this before; I can't be the first one to arrive here. In fact, if anyone is listening, I could use some information not listed in this...brochure. [ He doesn't really know what else to call it, and he's back to rubbing at the dried blood on his mouth and what's on his throat, too. ]

If anyone knows a man by the name of Johnny, could you tell him Charley is looking for him? He also answers to Rayflo. It's very important that I find him. [ Because the situation he was left in before he showed up here isn't a good one, and it makes him anxious. He frowns, and the video ends with an abrupt: ] Thanks, I guess.

[The video feed comes on and Varon is sprinting in the storm. Flipping, twisting and dodging obstacles, he isn't giving up even if the wind is pushing against him. It's this form of resistance that he needs in order to break his inner limits and push toward the next level, if he even knew one existed. Still, it's nice to get out of the house even if he is running during a storm.

Call him crazy, he's used to that. With having limited interactions with people on a positive scale, it really didn't leave him many options so training against a storm is better than being bored. He is returning to the basics.]

((I have a log up if anyone's interested in posting there instead.))

[ so the past few days have royally sucked, and Tsukiko's finally been given a reprieve from healing to catch her breath, recuperate--

... hahahaha like she would just sit quietly. ]

Is everyone doing better? If you're still recovering in the hospital, I can come down and help things along. It was mostly paperwork in the clinic today, too.

Ah-- that's right. And there are still so many arrivals... um, hello! My name is Tsukiko Yahisa. I'm a healer in Sigyn, and if you're new to your power, I should be able to help. Please let me know if you need me for anything.

[ okay, so maybe her smile's a little tired, but she's at least trying to keep her spirits up, though it falters in the next minute. ]

Also, if... anyone's heard anything about Ririchiyo-chan, I'd appreciate any news.

[ a pause. Oh, there's the smile again. ]

In the meantime, I think I'm going to make use of this. At this rate, I won't be able to catch up with the others!

[ and she lifts a giant bow - the kind used in Japanese archery - giving her viewers a polite nod before the feed ends. You can find her in Thor District's Arena on an open range, dressed in archery gear and concentrating on drawing her bow and shooting her targets. After a few initial shots, she seems to settle into a better sense of aim and concentration. Approach? ]

[Varon is leaning on his yellow motorcycle and looks directly at the feed. He's not really even going to draw that much attention to it. The fact that he has it back does make him calmer.]

These stabbings, like what Sam said, I think he's right. I didn't put a connection together at first but I've been payin' attention. The lion, a symbol of strength an' integrity in some cultures is also a symbol of bravery an' power in others. It's not called a king for nothin'.

The owls, in some cultures, are a symbol of death and wisdom. Those came first. Put it all together an' we have somethin' worth lookin' into. The gods are tellin' us somethin' an' I really think we should listen.

Where I'm from, symbols like these shouldn't be ignored but we've gotten so used t' bein' trapped in our own lives to care.

[He runs his fingers through his hair. Surprisingly, those thick, wild locks of hair isn't all that tangled.]

Damn...there was somethin' that I wanted to say but it slipped away from me. Anyway, just puttin' this out there that what we give can be easily taken away. That sounds cryptic as hell. Huh, guess that's it then.

[He closes that feed and starts another.]

private to Apollo

I hope that you're doin' okay. These stabbings has me worried. I listened t' that old man. As strange as it sounds, I'm glad I did. You alright out there?

private to Conan

Any headway on those murders? I know I'm not part of the investigation but I'm concerned that you're safety is jeopardized. Don't get in too deep, okay?

private to Chihaya

Are ya okay? Last time we spoke you had me worried. Don't fall apart, okay?

[Sam is sitting in a lounge at the hospital with what appears to be a laptop on his lap. There is no Internet connection here, nor is there any real practical reason for Sam to have his laptop with him, but he has it now, and it has a metric ton of information stored on it, so he wants it. Besides, it's comforting to be doing something, even if that something is reorganizing the files for the tenth time in the past hour.

When he speaks, he sounds exhausted.]

The Ides of March is the 15th day of March on the Roman Calendar. It marks the day that Julius Caeser was killed. Before Caeser was killed, though, a seer told warned him that he would be hurt, but Caeser didn't listen, and he brushed the guy off. He was stabbed later in the day, at the theatre of Pompey, twenty three times in front of the Roman Senate by a group of conspirators lead by his former friend, Marcus Junius Brutus. So --

[Sam lets out a long breath.]

That's what this must be about. If you stuck around and listened to the old man that everyone seemed to run into, a couple days ago, then you were rewarded for it. That's why some of us got personal items from home -- but if you ignored the guy, you were stabbed by a close friend. Like Caeser was -- or, well, that's my theory, anyway. The theory fits the facts of what's been going on.

[He pauses for a moment.]

Any of the available healers should probably come to the hospital. There might be more attacks for the people that ignored the seer. Not everyone is going to be so lucky.

[And Sam shuts off the bracelet. He has some people to visit.]

ooc; If you're in the hospital because of the attacks, Sam can certainly come visit you! Just pop into this post with an offline tag and he'll poke around to ask you what happened. :)

[ After a certain fairly horrible conversation with a certain dirty perverted dog whose name may or may not be Shiage Hamazura, Chihaya hasn't really been at her room in Freyr much, nor has she been all that responsive to calls. So where has she been these past couple of days? ]

[ Holed up inside one of the theater's practice rooms, that's where, because there is totally no better way to cope with FEELINGS than to isolate yourself from human contact and sing until your throat is raw. And- normally, it would actually do an okay job of getting Chihaya's mood back to an even keel... ]

[ But while nothing she sings sounds off or different or even any less proficient than usual, Chihaya's literally stopping every half a minute to start over again. Nothing sounds right to her ears, and she's pouring everything she's got into correcting mistakes or flaws that only she can hear... she just can't get it together. ]

[ Chihaya's weary, frustrated, and looking like a mess, which means that she's triggering accidental video feeds every now and then, which (in turn) often ends with her muttering darkly, shutting off her bracelet, and going back to her practicing. ]

... once more from the top.

[ BOTHER/TALK/REPRIMAND YES/NO? ]

[When Legault turns on the video, he's in a very nondescript room. A Freya bedroom, actually, with...absolutely no changes made to it aside from a small cabinet behind the bed. Other than that, it's as if it's a completely new room.

He's smiling, at least. When isn't he?]

How strange. I wasn't feeling well, so I decided to call...that's the right word, yes? Anyways, I decided to call Zen. He doesn't seem to be here anymore. What a shame. I've never been to a hospital, but I suppose that's where I'll be headed if I were to get hurt somehow. If you do see him, let me know. It's rude to ignore someone, I think.

[He doesn't really pause to linger; no wasting time in thought. It's more like he's rehearsed what he's going to say, actually.]

Did any of you know that the Folkvang Comfort House has special offers? I was quite surprised.

[And with those two statements out of the way, the video feed ends.]

[So enter Bayonetta, who's sitting on a couch in Thor somewhere, whirling around her pink guns to show off her boredom for the day.]

Let me ask you a question, dears.

[A pause as the guns whirl in her hand to the left. She's not really paying attention to them.]

I know that most of us had powers back home, before we came here. Some of you didn't, but then again, I wouldn't expect you to answer this.

[Those guns then whirl again over to the right.]

While it is nice to at least have something here to compensate, it's not always enough.

[Now the guns whirl faster, hilt up, barrel down to the floor before switching hands and then barrel down to the floor once more.]

So how many of you miss what you had back home? I'm beginning to get bored sitting here and waiting, to be quite honest.

[And at that, the gun barrels rise to the screen of the bracelet in the blink of an eye, the witch looking amused, before lowering them once again.]

It could just be me, however~ You can't blame a girl when she gets bored, now can you?

There's been talk amongst my coworkers at the carnival that the ghosts have been gettin' restless as of late. A dangerous one in particular, I've heard, has decided to come out of hiding, too.

Have any of you guys ever heard of the urban legend about the Face Snatcher from the locals? I suspect it's only been brought up as of recently since strange things have been happening... Anyway, this is how the legend goes, for those of you who have yet to hear the tale!

( non-ic cut for an original Claire Stanfield urban legend! )

So, with that bein' said, I think this warrants a little warning to all of you. Be careful going to the Carnival at night and make sure to cover your face when you sense a dark presence afoot, all right? And remember, if you so much as peek, you'll be torn to shreds before you can even shut your eyes again! [His tone takes on a more light-hearted air.] I'm around sometimes on the job, but I can't promise I'll always be there to help when help's needed!

Hope this excited you guys just as much as it did me!

((ooc: TL;DR Claire will be working at the carnival at night from now on and will be fulfilling the role of the Face Snatcher. He won't necessarily kill anyone, but he'll be trolling the shit out of groups/loners who like to go to the carnival at night. I'LL BE SETTING UP A LOG SOME TIME NEXT MONTH???))

This is an outrage! How dare you kidnap the kingly me and bring me to such a dreadful place! I demand that I be brought back to my home at once or there will be dire consequences! [There are no consequences. He just wants to make a point, and it wouldn’t be like Tamaki if he weren’t dramatic while doing so.]

I was in the middle of something very important and I will not stand being absent for one second of it! if it is money that you are after, then you may name your price. My family is extremely wealthy and they will not hesitate to pay any amount in order to make certain that I return home safely! Yes, I can almost picture the tragic sigh now! Everybody gathered around the table, worried and waiting for news of my well being. [It’s a gift, really, to be as dramatic and over the top as Tamaki is.]

I must admit, however, that I am flattered to have been chosen by the gods themselves to help them rebuild this world! In fact, with my god-like looks, who else would be a better fit for a job like this than I? Why, my looks are already heaven sent! This must be just another way of bestowing other gifts on me!

Ah, but it is almost cruel that I have been blessed with such great beauty and wealth in a world where so many have neither! It is really no wonder that anyone would desire to hold someone captive when they had the fortune to be born into such marvelous circumstances. My captors must have been awed by me and that is why they choose to capture me like this! Perhaps catching even the slightest glimpse of my wonder probably provides even the smallest satisfaction for them – it must comfort them to know that it is possible for someone like me to exist in the world, and maybe, just maybe, some of my greatness will rub off on them.


[Someone clearly has no idea what he's talking about.]

Yes, I have decided! That is exactly what must have happened and now that I know this, perhaps I may be able to rest just a little easier as I wait for this terrible punishment to end.

[ Chihaya doesn't seem TOO busted up from the recent slew of fairy attacks; her hands are bandaged, but that's about it. When she speaks UP, though, her voice sounds rather hoarse... but that's neither here nor there, as she cuts straight to the chase. ]

I'm sorry for bothering everyone, but I have a few questions. First, does anyone know if the recent disappearances are related to the fairy attacks in some way? I know that people have been disappearing before they occurred, but it just seems... strange.

[ She pauses a bit awkwardly. ]

Second, does... does anyone know what day it is? I've lost track. Other than that... I hope everyone's doing okay. I'm curious to hear what powers were the most effective against the fairies; if anyone has any information on that, please let me know. Oh, and-

[ And then because she's mildly tech-challenged, she completely fails her following attempt to filter this to Shiage Hamazura: ]

Hamazura, are you free right now?

[ With that ambiguous last message, Chihaya cuts the feed. ]

Okay.

Someone is going to tell me how this thing works.

[Zoom! Enjoy that view of Nier's piercing peepers for a second there, because he's turning his camera around to point it the microwave oven in Heimdall's kitchen.]

There's no heat. It just shines a light on the food, and then it comes out hot. I've watched through this little window a hundred times, and there's still no sign of anything heating up the food.

[Seriously, he has. There's a pretty large pile of hot, warm, lukewarm, and cool chicken nuggets right beside him on the counter.]

What kind of magic is this? Is that light really so powerful? If so, why isn't this entire machine growing hot and melting down? It doesn't seem so sturdy to me.

[It's been a common thread in many of her conversations with friends - slow down, relax, have fun - and she's been thinking about it more since losing Jr., who was always so eager to cheer her up and keep her enjoying herself. But she gets most of her enjoyment from working and doing things for others, so she's at a bit of a loss. Shopping with Yukari was a bit stressful, so she doesn't think that will ever be a hobby of hers. But maybe she can find out some more from the network.

She still won't waste time, and certainly won't get involved in the gods' games. But it's worth trying out a new hobby, isn't it? She does have some downtime...]

Hi, everyone. I keep being told I need to find ways to relax and have fun between my work and my training, but my favourite hobby is my work and has been for awhile, so I'm looking for new ones. Favourite books, movies or video games - easy ones, please, I've only played one before - or other things you like to do, whichever. I'm open to just about anything.

[Well, open to just about any suggestion.]

If you can help me out, it'd really be appreciated.